October ~ Round Up. 🍁

Time for an October Round-Up of my life lately. I have been enjoying Autumn colours, reading about a psychopath serial killer, eating left overs and finding funky fungi !

Reading.

Presently still reading books at a crawl, though I am enjoying ‘ How to kill your family’ by Bella Mackie. Frustratingly thrown into jail, for a murder she didn’t commit, Grace Bernard is busy writing her memoirs ( whenever her nosy cell-mate isn’t watching), for though she might be innocent of that particular murder, Grace has actually done away with…her entire family. Yes Grace might be a cold hearted killer, but she does have her reasons. A dark but amusing read, so far.

Emma Mackey is brilliant as Emily Bronte in ‘ Emily’.

Watching.

The Empress is a glorious romp through Austrian Royalty history, specifically the beginnings of the reign of Empress Elisabeth. A reluctant Royal , her new hubby The Emperor Franz Joseph had previously been engaged to Elisabeth’s sister. The usually independent Elisabeth or ‘ Sisi ‘ finds life at court full of frosty traditions, plots and intrigue. On Netflix. Subtitles.

I also enjoyed watching medieval coming of age comedy Catherine Called Birdy, which can be found on Amazon Prime. 14 year Lady Catherine ( Birdy to her friends ) is of marriageable age, and with a charming gambler for a father, her families only hope of remaining solvent, is for young Birdy to marry. Determined to thwart all her suitors, the mischievous heiress has other ideas.

My favourite watch this month was on the Big Screen. A friend and I went to see Emily, the new biopic of the life of reclusive writer Emily Bronte. Notoriously private, little is known about Emily in comparison to her siblings, much of what we do know about Emily’s thoughts and feelings are through Charlotte, some of which is probably sensored. This film is a reimagining of Emily’s life, as if she herself experienced some of the darker, some of the more passionate moments , that she wrote about in Wuthering Heights. And whose to say, really, that she didn’t……. A heart wrenching , clever, passionate and sometimes humorous picture about an unconventional and inspirational writer.

Eating.

A friend told us about the Too Good To Go Ap, which lets you know about food that shops and cafes are selling off cheap. For a fixed price you get a carrier bag full of goodies that are nearing their sell by date, known as a Magic Bag. The surprise is you don’t really know what the bag will contain, I was certainly surprised by the amount of stuff in this one from our local garage shop, Londis. For £5 we got 2 Sandwiches ,a loaf of bread, broccoli, bag of salad, Mr Kipling cakes, Manchester tarts, cooked chicken pieces, 2 chicken fillets and some butter. Participating places near me include Spa, Morrisons, Subway and Starbucks. Some independent businesses are signing up too. Have you used the ap before? I suspect I’m a bit late to the party. 😀

Too Good To Go?

Creating. A pumpkin flower arrangement! My friend Fi and I made these at a class in Whalley. Mines the more messy one on the left. Basically you need to hollow out a pumpkin ( happily already done for us), put in some cellophane and a wet piece of water absorbing oasis. Stick flowers, cones etc into the oasis to create an arrangement. And Voila!

Pumpkins.

Robin Hood’s Bay. A place to explore tumbling narrow streets and look for fossilized Monkey Puzzle Tree bark ( Jet) on the beach.

Holidaying. As it is Half Term Holidays we managed to get away to the Yorkshire Coast for a couple of days. Fortunately we have another caravan in the family, Wils brother and his wife own a static on a site half way between Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay. Both are such atmospheric places to visit, especially at this time of year. Anyway we made the most of our location, walking along the cliffs to Robin Hood’s Bay oneday and catching the bus into Whitby on the other.

Whitby. October sees Whitby come alive with spooky goings on and a Goth festival. The Abbey walls are illuminated and you might just see a few corpse brides amongst the gravestones.

Finding Fungi. 🍄

A day trip to Bolton Abbey and a woodland walk showcased a few fungi finds. Not quite sure if my IDs are correct, but here goes….

Funnel Fungi.

Fly Agaric.

Trembling Crust.

Bonnets.

Shaggy Mane Ink Caps.

Thanks for dropping by and enjoy the rest of October. Let me know if you are watching any spooky films or dressing up for Halloween 🎃 in the comments. X

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Hawthorns October Scavenger Hunt. 🍁

Words for October 2020.

Sweet treat ~ The best October Sweet Treat I have enjoyed is this Mocha Plate at The Shepherd’s Inn in Melmerby. Soo good.

Starts with a ….W… ~ The beautiful Wood carving of a bird of prey in Fitz Park in Keswick looks amazing surrounded by Autumn colours.

Reading now ~ PINE by Francine Toon, which is described on the blurb as A Literary Gothic thriller that chills to the marrow. Yikes!

Hobby/crafting ~ I am not a crafter so I will have to show you some of the pretty painted pebbles I have come across over the last few months. Two were on a little roadside stall and one ( the beautiful Oyster catcher) was painted for me by the very generous Blackpool blogger Bea. 🙂

Something Purple ~ Not sure what these purple tipped plants are? I know them as Mother and Chicks for some reason , they seem very content on stone walls.

My own choice ~ This is not my photo, but shamelessly stolen from a friend. Bruno and Bradley are her family pets. Talk about bunnies that do brunch. Any captions ? 🐇😊

Bob over to Kate’s Blog for the October Link Up Party.

A Ghostly Galleon on Ullswater and The Penrith Winter Droving.

It’s that spoooooky time of year when ghosties and goblins come out to play. I joined in with some Halloween fun at the weekend. Ullswater Steamers put on a Ghostly Galleon and myself , Wil, our friend Jo and God daughter Lydia enjoyed a cruise on the lake with a marvelous magic show and dressing up masks . Definitely aimed at children , but we adults had fun too. 🎃🦇


After our spooky boat trip we spent an hour or so at the Rheghed centre near Penrith, where Lydia found a Halloween treasure hunt and an outdoor adventure playground, before heading into town for the annual Winter Drovers Festival.

The Penrith Winter Droving started eight years ago and is a celebration of all things rural. There’s a Drovers Cup with team events such as Hay Bale Racing, Egg Throwing, Tug O War and Sausage eating. Throughout the day various musicians and street performers entertain  the crowds and a huge Cumbrian Food Market fills the streets. As dusk descends a fantastic torch lit procesion takes place around the town. The animal lanterns look so effective , all lit up against the darkening sky. Later back at the caravan, out came the monopoly. It had been a long but enjoyable day. 🙂

Spooky walk at Bolton Abbey.

I have visited the beautiful Bolton Abbey Estate on the banks of the river Wharfe many times in both the Spring and Summer, but never in Autumn before. A mistake I believe, as this is now my favourite time of year to explore the Priory ruins and the acres and acres of woodland trails. We were meeting up with my Sister and her family as well as our cousin and her husband, who were holidaying in the area.

Autumn Half Term is a great time to visit with the kids, as spooky goings on are happening deep in the woods. A family friendly Pumpkin Trail with hidden clues to unravel a witches spell, is proving a spooktacular attraction. 🍄 You can pick up a leaflet from the Cavendish Pavillion Shop.

The estate is also pet friendly with miles of on and off lead walks to enjoy. And plenty of chances for a dip in the river. 😉

Car parking is quite expensive. £10 per vehicle, although the ticket does let you move round the various car parks on the estate. Make the most of your day there and pack a picnic or visit one of the cafes on site. We liked The Strid Tearooms , a short walk from the end of the pumpkin trail, and they welcome four legged friends.

As well as completing the trail, the kids also enjoyed the Welly Walk, playing in the river and looking for wildlife. The Wharfe was teaming with various bird life including Herons, Dippers, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtails and Ducks.

Here are a few photos from our day. We spent a good five hours exploring and loved the Autumn colours. 🙂

Bolton Abbey.

The graveyard of the priory church of st Mary & st Cuthbert.

Celtic cross.

Hugo and Stepping Stones.

Through the spooky gates to the start of The Pumpkin Trail.

Witches legs. 🙂

The Strid, River Wharfe.

Dipper.

Male Mandarin Duck.

Grey Heron.

Autumn colours.

Fairytale Fungi. 🍄

Family on the trail.

Giant Pumpkin.

Spooky Spider.

Caught in a web. 🙂

Crayfish catch.

Past posts from visits to Bolton Abbey, if you wish to read them ~ Camping trip ~ Catgill Campsite, Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire Dales. and Easter Holiday Fun at Bolton Abbey.

Photo An Hour ~ Saturday 28th October.

On Saturday I joined in with Janey and Louisa’s Photo An Hour on Instagram, posting a photo every hour, on the hour , all through the day.  It happened that I was staying with family in the little village of Askham near Penrith, so my piccies are all taken in Cumbria, instead of where I live in Lancashire.

8am. Woke up to  a view of a rather murky day .

9am.  Coffee and Toast for breakfast.

10am. Heading down the village  of Askham past one of the  Greens to the Village shop. The shop has a great community feeling and serves coffee too, so we sat in and enjoyed another brew. 🙂

11am. We had been told about a local photography art exhibition in the Village Hall so walked there for a nosy. I bought a few cards and will no doubt frame them, when I get round to it. 

 

 

12pm.  Pie & peas for an early lunch.

1pm. Off to Keswick in the car so a pretty boring shot of the road. Still murky out there, which I guess is appropriate for the time of year. 🎃

2pm.  In Keswick Wil finds a new jacket…..and some walking pants. I prefer to admire pumpkin ornaments! 

3pm.  Enjoying a blood orange tea and a slice of Cherry Chocolate cake in Merienda , a fave tea room in Keswick. 🙂

4pm.  Back in Askham and find Biscuit the family cat relaxing on the bed. He is  a gorgeous boy but is petrified of dogs. So we couldn’t bring Hugo !  I spend most of the weekend seeking out random dogs to stroke. 

5pm.  Admiring the flowers in Mum’s garden. 🙂

6pm.  I bought a Lake District & Cumbria magazine in Keswick so I’m having a glance through. Lots of walks and useful info in here! 

7pm. Tea over, Wil and I head to one of the two pubs in Askham , The Queen’s Head. There is a tempting cocktail menu. Later I do have  an Expresso Martini ! 

8pm.  I wish I had taken a better photo of Floyd the Cocker Spaniel. Here he is at the bar with his owner,  after hoovering up the entire pub. His owner said he was at the village Halloween party, the night before too. Floyd is a party animal! 

9pm. Just  a short of Wils glass. Spooky! 

So there you have it, some random shots of a day in my life. Hope you are having a spooktacular Halloween, and I’ll be back in a few days with more  Autumnal pics of a couple of places we visited on Sunday. 🎃

13 Vampire Films.

October nights are drawing in. Why not cuddle down in crushed velvet and sink your teeth into one of the following…

Interview With The Vampire ( 1994). A centuries old vampire recounts his epic life story. Louis’s  tale starts in 18th century New Orleans , where he is turned by the selfish, violent and pleasure seeking Lestat. A tortured soul , reluctant to kill, yet instilled with a terrible lust for blood, Louis plots to escape his evil maker. Things are made more complicated however, when the couple turn a child. A sumptuous  adaptation of Anne Rice’s gothic horror. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Kirsten Dunst star.

Vamps ( 2012). On a lighter note, Amy Heckerling’s  ‘ Vamps’ is all fun and fangs. Reunited with her Clueless Star Alicia Silverstone, Heckerling directs a  romcom about two vampire flat mates. Negotiating a dating life in modern day NY is pretty dicey when your a blood sucking babe ! Krysten Ritter( of Jessica Jones fame) also stars.

The Lost Boys ( 1987).  Think sunkissed Santa Cruz in the 80’s and it seems an unlikely haven for the undead. But then this movie has quirky characters, a killer soundtrack and some badass leatherclad teen vampires. Two brothers move to a new town and whilst the older boy gets in with the wrong crowd, the younger brother begins to suspect their Mother may be dating a vampire.  Luckily he finds friendship in the form of a couple of garlic clove wielding comic store geeks, and the threesome go all out, to out the towns blood sucking fiends. Horror comedy with a stellar cast that includes Kiefer Sutherland and Diane Wiest.

Byzantium ( 2012). Gemma Arteton and Saoirse   Ronan   play Mother and Daughter vampires,  seeking refuge in a washed out British seaside resort, in this Neil Jordan ( Interview with the Vampire) directed horror thriller. On the run from kindred vampires,  the duo try to etch out a life by the sea, the mother ( a lap dancing prostitute ) and daughter ( enrolling as a student in high school) , but danger always lurks around the corner, for themselves….and their victims. 

Fright Night ( 2011).  Anton Yelchin plays Charley , a fairly normal college kid , who finds life is on the up when he starts dating the hottest girl on campus. He grows a bit tired of his geeky mate , who is convinced that there is a vampire serial killer on the loose, after a spree of killings in the area. But then Charley begins to suspect his and his  Mums new neighbor ( a rather dishy Colin Farrell) of deadly goings on. It all gets rather silly when Charley enlists the help of vampire expert Peter Vincent ( David Tennant) , though plenty of humour and gore makes, for a fun and thrilling ride.

Cirque du Freak : The Vampire’s Assistant (2009). Based on the Darren Shan books , this supernatural tale follows a typical teenage boy, who ends up being turned into a vampire and uses  his new powers in a travelling circus, full of wierd and wonderful performers.  Its a while since I’ve watched The Vampire’s Assistant , but I remember it having a Night Circus Vibe. Watch out for Salma Hayek as Madam Truska, the Bearded Lady. 

Let the right one in (2008). A tale as much about friendship as a gruesome vampire killing spree, this Swedish horror is a favourite of mine, despite me spending any gory parts behind a cushion ! Bullied 12 year old Oskar becomes friends with his neighbour Eli, but it seems she is no ordinary girl next door. ….. If your not a fan of subtitles, this movie  got the Hollywood treatment a few years later and was remade as Let Me In. But I prefer the more atmospheric Scandinavian version. 

I am Legend ( 2007).  Existing in a desolate New York City , after a virus has exterminated nearly all mankind and turned survivors into bloodsucking darkseekers , scientist Robert Neville ( Wil Smith) works on a cure, not knowing whether there are any other unaffected humans out there.   This for me is  a hard film to watch ( as I got to emotionally attached to Robert’s loyal dog Sam 😦  ) , but it is a gripping movie , with Smith exceptional in the role of a tormented lonely man, trying to outwit the darkseekers and keep a hold of his  humanity. 

Bramstoker’s Dracula ( 1992 ).  Bramstoker’s gothic horror is brought to the big screen in Francis Ford Coppula’s  lavish production. Dracula ( Gary Oldman) discover’s the reincarnation of his long lost love and sets out to pursue her, slaying and seducing everything in his wake. Mina Harker’s ( Winona Ryder) fiance and friends enlist the help of Vampire killer ‘ Van Helsing’ ( Anthony Hopkins) to destroy the count,  before Dracula claims Mina as his own. 

The Only Lovers Left Alive ( 2014).  Stylish undead duo Adam and Eve are centuries old vampires living in the present day. Whilst Eve still finds the world a fascinating place and resides mostly in romantic Tangiers, Adam is becoming disillusioned with humanity, mostly confined to his apartment in a run down area of Detroit. Eve returns to Adam to find him contemplating the end ,but manages to persuade him otherwise. Their reunion is disturbed by a visit from Eve’s sister Ava, who does not play by the Vampire rules.  Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston star in this cool ( and almost collected) tale of the undead ,existing amongst the living. 

Hotel Transylvania (  2012  ).   Where do Monsters go to get away from it all? They go to Count Dracula’s lavish holiday resort ‘ Hotel Transylvania’ of course. 🙂 To celebrate his daughter Mavis’s 118th Birthday, Dracula invites all their Monster Mates for a special weekend. But when a human crashes the party monster mayhem is sure to follow.  Fangs and fun with Adam Sandler and pals. There’s a fangtastic sequel too. 

Buffy the vampire slayer ( 1992).  Before Joss Whedon created the legendary TV show, Buffy was played by another blonde bombshell , not Sarah Michelle Gellar, but actress Kristy Swanson.  In the movie Buffy is trained to be a Slayer by Merrick (Donald Sutherland) and is constantly rescuing her class mate Oliver ( Luke Perry) from bloodthirsty vampires. Thank goodness then,  she has more than her cheer leading skills to fall back on when her most evil nemesis turns up in town. Silly stuff, but theres a hint of why the television series became so successful.

Twilight ( 2008).  I’ll end on every teenage girls favourite vampire movie ( maybe) , as  17 year old Bella Swan ( Kristen Stewart) moves to a new area and new school and meets the strangely mysterious Edward Cullen. He and his equally mysterious family go on frequent hunting trips , avoid the other students and stay out of the sun. Is it possible they are vampires??  Twilight is the first of several movies based on the popular Stephanie Meyer books. Robert Pattinson plays  Bella’s toothy soul-mate Edward Cullen. 

So what do you think of my list ? Is it fangtastic? Or does it Suck??

Enjoy………

Sunday Sevens 6th November.

Sunday Sevens time again which means I’m sharing seven photos from my personal week.:) Last Sunday I found myself in the lovely Yorkshire Dales, staring at a table full of yummy looking cakes! No surprise there then.:) Wil and I had stopped for lunch at a cute little tea room in the town of Leyburn called kTea’s which has a bit of an Alice In Wonderland theme going on. 

As you know I love finding quirky little cafes and this one is no exception. I had a savoury cheese scone with Wensleydale Cheese and chutney followed by a generous slice of Victoria Sponge. I was then ready for further adventures at the nearby Forbidden Corner

The Forbidden Corner in nearby Middleham is a country park with a difference. Everywhere you look there are amazing statues, kooky wood carvings, fiesty fountains, mazes to get lost in, secret tunnels and talking trees. We met up with my sister and her family for an afternoon of magical exploration. Having been once before 3 years ago and throughly enjoyed the experience, it was a pleasure to return …… and find even more to love.:)

 

Monday night was Halloween and a friend had bought me a ticket for the local Clitheroe Ghost Walk. The walk started in the Swan Courtyard and took in most of the Castle grounds, which looked especially spooky that evening…..

This tour was a family friendly one so my two god daughters were dressed for the occasion and here they are with Simon Entwistle who was our Top Hatted Guide in Victorian dress. Clitheroe has certainly had a lot of hauntings in its time, including runaway coaches, drowned scullery maids, spectres in paintings and the devil even props up the bar in the New Inn. 😉 We managed a quick half of cider in our fave Clitheroe local straight after!

  

Speeking of cider last night I made some mulled cider for a small Bonfire gathering in our back yard. Where I live, we do get the best views of Clitheroe castle’s Firework display from our tiny outside space. I totally forgot to take any photographs though.:( Anyway the mulled cider went down really well….. and is easy peasy to make. Simply pour a few bottles of  apple cider in a slow cooker, add an orange stabbed with whole cloves and a couple of chopped apples. Let it simmer on low for a couple of hours and serve in mugs with a cinnamon stick. Perfect served with sparklers and parkin cake on the 5th of November….. or indeed any chilly Winters eve..:)

Sunday Sevens was devised by Natalie at Threads and Bobbins.

How was your week? 

Photo an Hour Sat 29 October. ☆

On Saturday I joined in with louisa’s and Janey’s Photo An Hour challenge. Here’s how my day went…

8am.  Enjoying a brew in bed.

9am.  Changing the bed. Love my Orla Kiely duvet set but the colours ran a bit the first time I washed it. 😦

10am.  One snoozy dog ( after his walk) and one awake cat. 🙂

11am.  Looking Up.

12pm. In a local cafe waiting for lunch.. I had a savoury cheese scone with chutney and salad. This is the view from the window.

1 pm.  Back home and Wil has assembled ingredients for a stew. Halloween themed of course. Hobgoblin ale going in. 🙂

2 pm.  Put this table in the bedroom and wondering if it looks out of place? However fellow blogger Janet thinks a pile of vintage books or a jug of dried lavendar will look great on it. I agree. 🙂

3pm.  Updating Hugos Lake District Map. Whenever we go to the Lakes we try and take Hugo and photograph him paddling and swimming in various lakes and tarns. The map is slowly filling up now. 🙂

4pm.  In the local pub having a quick one before we go to our friends kids Halloween party. 

5pm.  Loving my friends pumpkins. 🙂

6pm. Halloween Selfie. Vast improvement I think!!

7pm. All wrapped up. Monsterous Mummies!

8pm.  A pumpkin and a Witch aka my 2 Goddaughters. 🙂

9pm. Last pic. Supper is the stew and the first two episodes of Orphan Black. 

Hope you have had a good weekend. Happy Halloween! 

 

Classic Chick Flick ~ Bell, Book and Candle.

For you lovers of old magical movies, I’m reblogging a few Halloween themed posts this week, on the lead up to the 31st of October. Here’s a Witchy Romance featuring James Stewart, Kim Novak….and a siamese cat called Pyewacket. 🙂

sunshine and celandines

Look into my eyes.

Its that time of year when the nights are drawing in and there’s nothing more comforting than curling up with a hot chocolate ( or one of those spicy pumpkin lattes that I haven’t tried yet!) and a spooky rom com.  Bell, Book and Candle is a witchy tale set in modern day New York ( 1958 ) about a bored witch ( a sultry blonde Kim Novak) , her feline familiar ‘Pyewacket’ and the guy who moves into the flat upstairs.

The film starts with a festive snowy street scene. It’s Christmas Eve and lonesome witch Gillian is working in her African Art shop feeling in a bit of a rut. She spies her neighbor from the flat upstairs ,  Shepherd Henderson ( James Stewart) and ponders to her siamese cat Pyewacket, that he might be a rather nice Christmas present…..

“Give me him…

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Chick Flick Classics ~~ The Ghost and Mrs Muir.

On the days leading up to Halloween, I thought I would reblog a few old posts! This post is all about one of my fave black and white movies ‘The Ghost and Mrs Muir’ and is a spooky romance starring Rex Harrison and the gorgeous Gene Tierney. Enjoy 🙂

sunshine and celandines

I’m a bit of a rom com and chick flick fan and I’ve probably seen just about every film made in the genre from the past twenty plus years ( ok maybe not all of them but quite a few! ), So I thought I would delve a wee bit further into the past and get watching a few classics from the Silver Screen. I shall be updating my Love Film list and hopefully discovering some New Old romances and tearjerkers. But for now I shall share with you one of my favorite 40’s fantasy films The Ghost and Mrs Muir.

The Ghost and Mrs Muir (1947) is the story of a young widow Lucy Muir played by the beautiful Gene Tierney, who flees her stifling snobby in laws with her young daughter. They find an old cottage by the sea called ‘Gull Cottage’ which no one has lived in…

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